In Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin Dems tout 1 million signatures

Organizers behind the recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker collected 1 million signatures to be submitted to the state’s Government Accountability Board on Tuesday, dwarfing the required number of names and virtually ensuring that a recall election will take place later this year.

A total of 540,208 valid signatures, or 25 percent of all of the votes cast in the election that put Walker in office last January, were needed to force a recall election, but organizers had aimed for hundreds of thousands more than the minimum requirement to ensure they met the threshold even if some signatures are disqualified.

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The success of labor and liberal activists in forcing a recall election guarantees that Wisconsin will have an election-year reprise of its national star turn from last year —as ground zero in a climactic conflict between conservative activists and public-employee unions. Given the timing of the special election, and the fact that Wisconsin is a critical Midwestern electoral battleground, the contest is sure to seep into the presidential election between President Barack Obama and the Republican presidential nominee.

The Wisconsin Democratic Party was quick to dub the recall effort — which also targeted Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and a handful of Republican state legislators — the “biggest” in American history and boasted that organizers had gathered a whopping 460,000 extra signatures for the recall of Walker, who infuriated many in his state last year by pushing through a law that ended most collective bargaining rights for many public workers.

“An incredible number of Wisconsinites have stood up to be counted and say, ‘We can’t wait for the next election. We absolutely must get Scott Walker out of office right now,’” Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate told POLITICO.

Meagan Mahaffey, executive director of United Wisconsin— the group behind the recall efforts — said Tuesday’s results sent a “crystal clear message to Scott Walker that voters are done with his extreme policies and his destruction that he’s doing to our state.”

Mahaffey insisted that the movement did not simply represent a battle between Walker and organized labor. “This is a message to people of all backgrounds and all different types of people that have worked so hard on this recall. The best outcome for all of us is the same: Recall Scott Walker,” she said.

Kelly Steele, a strategist for We Are Wisconsin, the group that led Wisconsin’s Senate recalls, also hailed Tuesday’s news as a victory for all Wisconsinites.

“Scott Walker lied his way into office, and has since launched unprecedented attacks on Wisconsin’s working families, dividing the state like never before,” Steele said in an email. “This historic recall is a million-strong victory for Wisconsinites united to take their government back from wealthy special interests who bought and paid for Scott Walker and are dictating the terms of his extreme agenda.”

The Republican Governors Association quickly came to Walker’s defense on Tuesday, announcing the launch of www.StandWithScott.com — a website dedicated to promoting the governor’s policies and accomplishments.

Readers' Comments (509)

This is what happens when republicans overreach: voter backlash. I signed the partition, and I’m proud of it. I do not support unions, and have never belonged to a union. Welcome to the great Walker flameout. Republicans in DC are next, starting in November, 2012.

This is absurd. They claim to have the signature of everyone who voted against Walker in the last election, a feat that is too amazing to believe. Given that for much of the signing period folks thought that no one would check the signatures for duplicates or phonies, it seems likely that this number is more inflated than usual. I rather doubt that normal rules-of-thumb will apply.

Well since Walker's Wisc. issues, laws and policies have worked for most of their citizens, it appears that the corrupt WTA and SEIU and DNC all want to overthrow any common sense laws which will cut taxes, spending and regs. BTW, Walker has saved many homes with his property tax reforms. If he goes, then the rabid, radical left will have made Wisc. look like Greece and Albania which they love.

In Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin Dems tout 1 million recall signatures. it is obvious that this is just Obama and his crony left wingers aleinating the real American citizens. I can not why the liberals are still kissing his naked a__s. Must be hablt forming.

Oh the irony! When the over ONE MILLION petitions are signed to recall Scott Walker for trying to destroy the 99% for the 1%, he is at a luncheon given by the dude who basically trashed AIG and at a cost of $2500 a plate. (How does this dinner compare with unemployment insurance? Its about, what, two months of money his unemployed citizens are living on?)

Governor Walker brought this on himself, not because of his policies--however necessary--but because of his confrontational style. He puts down his own employees in the most strident terms possible and then wonders why they hate his guts. The governor of Montana faced similar fiscal difficulties; yet he managed to deal with them more calmly and effectively.

This is a great way to waste more tax payer dollars. The unions who are proposing this should fund the cost of the election to the state. Put the money where the mouth is! Lets see who is willing to actually pay instead of forcing the hard working (ie: not union) tax payers.

I am amazed that in this day and age - a drivers license was not required to sign the petition but then democrats don't care about fraud - its about the agenda not the method for getting there. They are trying to lead us towards the destruction of this country. Worker safety made this country great. Union greed has robbed us of that greatness!

I didn't even know that there were 1 million people In Wisconsin!!!!! I wonder how many promises were

made to people for signing the petition. I how they find that at least 1/.4 of the signatures are a hoax.....then the assho*es can be charged with fraud. ****y Liberals,,,they don;t get their way so they have to resort to plans that have not been used very often. You vote , you get what you voted for OR against. Simple Concept. Where were these million people at the original elections???